Unlocking the opportunities of digital capability in the built environment requires the construction industry to have a shared understanding of what skills are needed and helping to make sure that leaders are embedding those skills in their organisations.
This is the key finding of a new report released by the Construction Leadership Council’s People & Skills workstream.
The built environment is being digitally transformed as organisations embrace tools and technologies that support the full spectrum of planning, construction and operation activities.
However, organisations need to ensure that the right people have the right competencies so that digital solutions deliver improved outcomes as expected.
Developed by experts across the sector, the report aims to create a common understanding of what digital competency means in our industry and to provide ways to support leaders across the built environment in embed digital competency into their organisations.
To do this, it makes four recommendations about actions the industry can take:
- Create a vision for digital competency in the organisation, addressing the ecosystem of people, processes and technology;
- Evaluate the current level of maturity or competency in each category, noting strengths and gaps;
- Address gaps by partnering with government and training providers to ensure appropriate training interventions are created;
- Aligning skills needs with the organisation’s strategic objectives, ensuring that digital upskilling supports business and industry outcomes such as improved productivity, safety, and sustainability.
Digital capability in the built environment is no longer a specialist function, it is a core skillset that underpins how we plan, deliver, and operate the infrastructure and buildings of tomorrow.
This is not about advocating for the use of specific tools, technologies or software, but rather about building up foundational competency across the industry that supports an integrated, systems mindset in the use of digital solutions.
The work undertaken to produce this report highlights the value of the Construction Leadership Council’s convening power in drawing together work that is happening across the industry and working towards the common goal of building a competent workforce.
Each organisation can use this report as a framework to identify areas for upskilling that are aligned with the organisation’s strategic objectives, ensuring that digital upskilling supports business and industry outcomes such as improved productivity, safety, and sustainability.
We encourage all those who engage with this work to support appropriate training and upskilling to ensure that the right people have the necessary competencies to implement digital solutions effectively.
